Summer Vegetable Stacks with Black Beans, Corn, and Goat Cheese

You expect D R A M A when you’re watching a Real Housewives of New Jersey reunion, complete with entire minutes of Language that is wholly inappropriate for the under 18 audience…

…but baseball?

BASEBALL.

America’s Family Friendly Favorite Pastime.

There are no words.

For those of you whose entire marital bliss doesn’t depend on The Mets not looking like fools every day (look at you and your good life choices!), let me fill you in.

At around 8:57 pm, social media exploded with news that two players from The Mets were going to be traded.

Fast forward an hour to one of those players CRYING ON THE FIELD because he had to find out the news from Twitter and not from his coach. Like the rest of us.

Fast forward two hours to The Mets manager swearing (profusely, might I add) on national television because the trade that was supposedly “confirmed” by real! legit! news sources! was actually totally not confirmed! real! or legit!

Fast forward to me laying dazed and confused on my couch for the remainder of the evening because did anyone even consider my productivity/emotions in all of this?!

No. They did not.

These crazy days that we live in call for simple meals with fresh clean flavors. Preferably ones that rely on local, seasonal produce, if possible. It really just tastes better that way.

Sweet roasted summer squash, zucchini, and eggplant get the job done, especially when served with a sprinkling of goat cheese and basil on top. Never one to resist all things CORN, I paired them with a black bean and corn saute that cooks in under five minutes on the stove. Enter the summer meal I suspect we’ll be eating all summer long if Mets baseball (and my CSA) has anything to do with it.

Spread the summer squash and eggplant slices over the baking sheets in an even layer. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Roast for 15 minutes, or until tender and slightly browned.

Make stacks by layering the squash and eggplant on each of 4 plates and topping with basil and goat cheese.

Meanwhile, prepare the black beans and corn. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the scallions to the pan and saute for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the black beans, corn, cumin, salt, and black pepper. Cook until warmed through, about 2-3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Stir in the cilantro.

Divide the rice among the plates. Top with the black beans and corn mixture.

Oh my gosh, how did I MISS that baseball drama??? A side note: I hate how these sports teams deal with mid-season trades, when they just tell the players “pack up, buddy, you’re leaving today.” But seriously, what is going on with the Mets??

Anyway, I’m all about simple roasted vegetables right now too! What a great summer bowl!